Mission

Audubon Society of Northern Virginia (ASNV) is a chapter of National Audubon Society and committed to its mission: to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity. ASNV advances the mission through education programs, citizen science, and advocacy initiatives.

Our education programs offer workshops and classes on a variety of birding and other natural history topics while our Audubon at Home program encourages home and other land owners to create wildlife friendly habitat on their properties. At Audubon Afternoons we present speakers on areas of interest to ASNV members and the broader community. During field trips and bird walks we welcome the public and cultivate an appreciation for the outdoor opportunities available in Northern Virginia.

ASNV sponsored counts and surveys contribute to our knowledge of bird and wildlife population trends in Northern Virginia. Concurrently we work in partnership with other conservation organizations and land managers to provide effective stewardship of these populations and their habitats.

History

When John James Audubon died in 1851, he had gained fame for his elegant portraits of America’s birds and other wildlife in their natural habitats. His perspective and methods were unique, and his reputation has endured, making his art a rich legacy for all who wish to glimpse what he experienced. Regrettably, much of the natural world Audubon sought to fix in those vivid images has not endured.

Through Audubon’s art, however, people began to see and appreciate birds in new ways, to value them, and to be concerned about their fate. By the 1880s, his name had become the banner under which a major conservation movement was taking shape. It started as revulsion at the heedless slaughter of wild birds for their feathers. In a classic grassroots effort, Audubon clubs and supporters secured state and federal legislation to suppress the feather trade and, in 1903, influenced President Theodore Roosevelt to establish the first federal wildlife refuge. In 1905, the National Association of Audubon Societies was organized, paving the way for a century of new challenges, opportunities and successes in campaigns to conserve birds and other wildlife and their habitats.

Today’s National Audubon Society and a broad network of state and local chapters - including the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia - remain committed to addressing environmental problems ranging in scale from neighborhood to global. The heart of the Audubon effort has always been in helping individuals make a difference in their communities.